Despite criticism by the community and cycling advocates that enforcement is uneven across the city, the vast majority of Chicago bike tickets continue to go to those in black neighborhoods.

According to the Chicago Tribune and Chicago police statistics, in 2017 – about 56 percent of all bike tickets were issued in the majority black neighborhoods compared with 24 percent in Latino neighborhoods and 18 percent in white neighborhoods.

US - Census - Blacks - Latinos - Whites

According to the U.S. Census, Blacks, Latinos as well as whites individually make up about a third of the city’s residents. A Tribune story last year provided similar results between 2008 and 2016. Nine out of ten tickets are for biking on the sidewalk.

Obtained through a public records request, the new numbers also show that while the enforcement pattern has not changed – overall tickets are down by 14 percent. Last June, the city said that police effort under its new “Vision Zero” traffic safety plan, which includes cycling, will focus on education in high crash areas and not use increased tickets to measure success. The city has been promoting cycling in recent years, especially in black and Latino neighborhoods by adding more bike lanes and a major expansion in Divvy ride share stations.

Ald - Christopher - Taliaferro - Regards - Number

“It is disappointing,” said Ald. Christopher Taliaferro, 29th, in regards to the high number of tickets in black areas. A former police sergeant, Taliaferro’s ward includes part of Austin, a majority-black neighborhood that saw the city’s second highest number of bike tickets. “I look at it as a...